


Juliet's Nest

by Bicoco



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, Idiots in Love, Light Angst, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-30
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26199175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bicoco/pseuds/Bicoco
Summary: After the Season 2 finale, Juliet is staying in Hawaii and is now the proud owner of Robin's Nest, but a lot of things were left unsaid between Magnum and her.
Relationships: Juliet Higgins & Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV, Juliet Higgins/Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV
Comments: 96
Kudos: 180





	1. Chap.1 - Magnum

As usual, I don't own the characters, merely borrowing them to play with them.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Magnum’s POV**

Armed with his paddles, Thomas Magnum cleaved the water at a steady pace, making his frustrations melt away with each stroke. Wearing his usual Tigers cap, shorts and his grey ‘Navy Seals’ tank top, the P.I lead his boat further and further away from Robin’s Nest.

A month has passed since Higgins had told him she wouldn’t be leaving for London.

Normally, this memory should be a pleasant one for him and in some ways it really was. After everything he had been willing to do for her to stay in Hawaii, he finally got his wish. Juliet would remain right here, she wouldn’t marry anyone and they would still be partners. It had been quite a win for everyone.

Except maybe for the small fact that, in order for her to get another visa, Robin had left her the entirety of Robin’s Nest. She was now the owner of the greatest property of the island, including all its employees. That meant him, too.

Naively, Magnum thought that, since she had already been running the estate as majordomo for the last few years, it wouldn’t change a thing.

Boy, was he wrong!

Nothing was the same anymore. Or rather, it was like before. Like the first time they met when their relationship was based on contempt, annoyance and Higgins was trying to teach him lessons through passive aggressive gestures.

At first, she had joked that technically the red Ferrari was now hers and she would change the license plate from Robin2 to Higgins2, which she did. Magnum thought it was a funny joke and he really didn’t mind as long as he could still drive it.

But she didn’t stop there. All she could do to annoy him, she did. It was like she did it on purpose to get a rise out of him. Like, sending workers to the guesthouse for a remodel of the living area at 7AM or changing the gardener’s schedule so he now mowed under his windows at dawn. Basically, he couldn’t ever sleep past 7AM.

He went as far as he intended to with his boat before turning around to come home.

He sighed. All these changes were not why he was sulky. They were just petty annoyances that kept reminding him their relationship had changed, and not for the better.

What bothered him the most was that she now didn’t work on cases with him anymore. Last week, he tried to ask her for some background checks and some location data for a client, and she treated it like she used to before they were partners, as if he was asking for a favor and she didn’t have time for him. 

His own P.I work was starting to suffer from her absence. It took him twice as much time to solve a case without Higgins’ help.

He finally joined the beach in the allotted time for his practice and jumped in the water to drag his boat on the sand. There, he saw Kumu in the middle of her morning exercises which put a smile on his face. At least some things were still the same.

« Morning, Kumu. »

« Aloha, Thomas. », she panted.

« Have you seen Higgins this morning? », he asked, willing to pay the majordomo a visit.

« She was in the study when I left an hour ago. »

« Mahalo. »

He started to walk away when the older woman addressed him again.

« Be nice to her, Thomas. »

He scoffed.

« I’m always nice, Kumu. »

He headed towards the main house, and as he did, walked past the dogs who watched him indifferently but didn’t move to chase him. Apparently their training sessions together weren’t a total waste of time.

When he entered the study he saw Higgins asleep at the desk, her head on her folded arms, next to her open laptop. Magnum frowned, it was odd to fall asleep at 8AM.

He sighed. She must have pulled an all-nighter and crashed in exhaustion. He was proven right when he recognized the clothes she was wearing as yesterday’s outfit. He sat in the armchair across the desk, wondering whether he should wake her up, carry her to her room or let her sleep here.

He observed her. She looked so peaceful, also softer and younger while in slumber. Magnum could stay there, watching her, for hours. Her relaxed features made her look even more beautiful and Thomas felt his heart lurch in his chest at the sight.

He knew she was a gorgeous woman the moment he laid eyes on her, even with her stern expression and her acerbic manners. But the more he got to know her, the more he thought she was beautiful on the inside too. Her tough persona was only the result of too much hurt and being forced to hide herself during her spy career.

Looking at her now, he physically felt the ache at her pulling away from him. He had been feeling that way ever since she told him she would marry TC instead of him. He had been willing to do anything to keep her in Hawaii and to see her reject his help to go to his best friend had hurt him more than he had let on. What did TC have that Thomas didn’t to make a better fake husband for Juliet?

On top of everything, she had been distant since going to TC and he missed her, her posh accent, her smile and how she made him strive to be more than who he was. He even missed her lectures and disapproving looks.

But no point in mulling things over right now. Nothing would ever change if he didn’t come and talk to her about what was troubling him. Like he had once told her, it wouldn’t be fair to her if he wasn’t honest about how he felt. But judging from her slumped form, she would be in no shape for such a conversation at the moment. She needed sleep.

He rose up from the armchair to come kneel next to her. He stroked her back softly, trying to rouse her so she could go lie down on her bed and be more comfortable. She groaned but didn’t open her eyes.

“Higgy.”, he whispered. “You need to go sleep in your bed.”

She hummed but didn’t move.

“You want me to carry you?”, he asked, already worried about her answer.

She still didn’t utter a word, just a grunt.

Magnum slipped one arm under her knees and placed his other against her back before he rose from his crouching position. He waited until he got her settled in his arms, her head resting on his shoulder, and her weight evenly distributed before he walked towards the stairs.

She mumbled his name against his neck but didn’t move further than that. Magnum thought she must be really tired not to knock him down for carrying her.

He was in the middle of the stairs when he registered something else. Not that she used to weigh a ton before, but right now she was as light as a feather, even in sleep. She must have lost some weight in the last month.

Worry settled in his chest as he crossed the threshold of her room and deposited her gently on her bed. He took off her shoes and noticed, now that she was lying down, that her collarbone was more prominent and her thighs had lost some muscular mass. He pulled her sheet over her body.

Something was going on with her and he was determined to find out what.


	2. Chap.2 - Higgins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Higgins' side of the story ;)

Higgins opened her eyes slowly, blinked a few times and frowned. She was puzzled by the amount of light streaming through her French doors. What time was it?

She turned towards her bedside table and saw it was just past noon. She sat up abruptly, shocked that she had slept until this hour. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and noticed that she was still dressed in yesterday’s outfit.

At what time did she go to bed last night?

Then, she remembered. She was doing research about her new visa and what exactly she could and couldn’t do with it, then it reminded her she needed to change the insurance policy for the estate. One thing led to another and suddenly she saw the sun was up and Kumu was talking to her.

She must have fallen asleep after her conversation with the older woman but she couldn’t recall walking up to her room. Suddenly the fog in her brain lifted and she knew.

Magnum.

He must have carried her from the study. That thought made her uncomfortable; she didn’t want him to see her in this state of utter exhaustion.

In the last few months she had made progress in expressing her emotions like she had promised her partner but even she had to draw the line at being carried to her bed like a little girl.

She sighed and got up before hitting the shower. She was already late if she wanted to follow her schedule.

She reveled in how the warm water soothed her tired muscles as she went through her to-do list of the day: studying the insurance contracts so they could be changed to her name, handling the employees’ planning for the next month, cancelling the remodel of the living room in the main house Robin wanted because she didn’t think it was necessary. She liked it the way it was. Scheduling the next training session of the lads.

As she lathered shampoo on her hair, she thought today might be the day she would finally have enough time to help Magnum if he had a case.

If she was honest with herself, she would admit she missed working with him. And if she was _truly_ honest with herself, she would admit that she missed him period.

She rinsed her hair, scratching her scalp as she washed out all the suds in her locks.

Reflecting about their partnership made her heart sink. They had been in a great place as partners, working well together, even becoming friends. Ever since Abby left him, they had never been closer. But this whole visa debacle didn’t make any wave no, it created a tsunami and suddenly things were said, marriage proposals were thrown around and nothing has ever felt the same.

How can you go back to being just work partners and friends when you almost became husband and wife? Even if it was only for her immigration status.

Things have been awkward between them ever since Thomas asked her to marry him but it reached a whole new level of uncomfortable when she ditched him to ask TC instead, even though she didn’t go to TC to hurt Magnum. On the contrary, she wanted to protect him, mostly from himself and his big generous heart, willing to help everyone who crossed his path.

She sighed as she poured some shower gel in her palm to wash her body.

Her decision to go to Magnum’s best friend was also to protect herself because she probably would have enjoyed being married to the P.I a little too much.

They would have had to play along to keep the charade and, knowing Magnum from the few times they went undercover as a couple, he would have insisted on the nicknames, on the hand holding and what about kissing and other PDA?

Juliet knew she wouldn’t have been able to handle all this knowing he was doing it for appearances only.

Her stomach growled loudly and distracted her from her introspection.

‘When was the last time she ate?’, she wondered as she got out of the shower stall and reached for her bathrobe.

She needed to take better care of herself. Being overworked was no excuse not to eat and sleep on a regular basis. Right now, she would kill for Magnum’s famous pancakes; just the thought made her mouth water. She was famished.

She dried herself in front of her walk-in closet, looking for an outfit.

She had also missed a lot of fun things lately. She longed for a night at La Mariana, drinking beers with the gang and singing on karaoke night, or a poker game in the wine cellar.

Or something a little bit more low-key like watching a movie with Magnum in the guesthouse with a bowl of popcorn. They had made a deal that she would educate him with some classical but fundamental movies whereas he would introduce her to some more testosterone fueled flicks.

Let’s just say that these nights were heavy on the ribbing: him complaining her movies were boring and her claiming his movies were wildly improbable, and they often ended with popcorn in their hair from the mutual attacks and bellyaches from all the laughing.

But that happened before the visa, the proposal and everything that derived from that.

Even when she tried not to think about Magnum, her treacherous mind kept bringing her back to him. It was exhausting. Almost as much as this whole situation.

She slipped into some panties and a bra before grabbing a thin white tank top.

She groaned as she stretched her back and neck when she dressed. She was aching everywhere as if she was twice her age. She tried to think but couldn’t remember having a single yoga session in the last month, not to forget a run on the beach with the lads.

She was grateful for Robin’s help when he named her the owner of Robin’s nest, she truly was, as it allowed her to stay on the island near her Ohana, but she had been far from imagining the amount of work it would require. It had totally hijacked her life.

One positive thing from taking a step back from her P.I work was that she could wear her more feminine clothes now that she didn’t have to run after bad guys. She reached for a white and grey stripped shirt and some old pink shorts.

When she went to fasten the button at her waistband she noticed how loose the fabric was.

Ok, maybe on top of all of that she had lost a little weight. She watched her reflexion in the mirror and observed her more prominent cheekbones. She knew some women would kill for those but she wasn’t really comfortable with her looking like this. It brought back unpleasant memories of her youth when everyone in her class made fun of her for being too skinny.

She opened a drawer to look for a belt, not willing to worry about her shorts falling from her hips. She trailed her fingers through her wet curls before deeming she was ready to brave the day, well the afternoon.

She put on her platform sandals before making her way out.

She went down the stairs and, when she came through the study, she saw Magnum sitting at the desk. He was using her laptop, deep in concentration.

A smile spontaneously stretched her lips at the sight of her partner. He was wearing his deep blue shirt with the mandarin collar that she loved.

She didn’t even have time to greet him before he lifted his eyes to her and said in a clipped tone: “We need to talk.”

TBC


	3. Chap.3 - Magnum

At his words, her smile vanished and Magnum immediately felt bad about it. He could literally see her close up as her face and shoulders tensed.

« I don’t have time for a chat, I have a lot of work to do and I’m already behind on my schedule. », she told him in an annoyed tone.

« Yeah, sleep can really hinder productivity. », he claimed sarcastically.

« What do you want, Magnum? », she sighed as she stood near him with her closed fists on her hips, waiting for him to yield her chair in front of the computer.

He refused to move because the moment that she sat down she would stop listening to him and start working.

« You changed the gardener’s schedule and now he mows under my window at the crack of dawn. », he huffed and inwardly cursed himself for being such a coward.

Why couldn’t he just tell her that he missed her, that he was worried about her?

She scoffed.

« Is that why you’re here? Because you lost your sleeping-in privileges? »

Oh yeah, that was why! If he were to be honest with her about how he felt and she took him down with her acerbic quips, he wouldn’t be able to pick up the pieces. How was he supposed to open up to her when she was always like this with him? He had witnessed her caring side with others, why couldn’t she extend the courtesy to him?

« Adamu told me it was better for him to start earlier and since he has a baby and wants to spend more time with him, I agreed. », she added in a gentler tone that didn’t assuage Magnum’s frustration.

« And what about the workers you sent at the guesthouse the other day for a remodeling job you didn’t even tell me about? »

He knew he was digging his own grave but he was on a roll. He didn’t want to be the only one annoyed by this situation.

« What workers? », she sighed as she dragged her hand down her face.

« You tell me, you’re the one who sent them. »

« I didn’t send anyone for any remodel. I only called to cancel the one scheduled for the main house; or I was supposed to do it today, I think. », she hesitated, confused.

She reached for her laptop to check her mail inbox and groaned.

« I’m sorry Magnum, I made a mistake and instead of canceling the main house, I sent them to you. It wasn’t premeditated. »

He nodded, placated by her answer for now. The bigger issues needed to be addressed though.

« Look, Higgy, I think we both need to talk about this last month. »

She tensed again.

« You know what, I told you I didn’t have time to talk and yet you still hijacked my desk to throw an unjustified tantrum so I’m sorry but I’ll respectfully decline. Now get out of my chair, please. », she announced in a stony tone.

He crossed his arms like a pouty toddler and refused to move. She would talk to him whether she wanted or not.

« Fine! Do what you want! », she snapped as she closed her laptop before grabbing it and moving to leave the room. « I need some coffee anyway. »

He sprang out of the chair and followed her to the kitchen until they were both on one side of the counter.

« I didn’t do nearly everything to make you stay so that you could avoid me now! », he yelled at her back.

She turned slowly from the espresso machine, her expression unreadable.

« Oh, so does that mean I _owe_ you something for services rendered? », she asked in disbelief. « Please, enlighten me on what exactly you wished I would give you in exchange for you calling Robin for help. »

He groaned.

« That’s not what I meant and you know it. », he sighed as he scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes. « I just want my partner back. », he added after a few seconds quietly.

She lowered her gaze to the counter and Magnum could feel her irritation deflate at his words.

« What do you want me to say Magnum? That I miss working with you? I do! You know I do. It’s just a lot of work to transfer the property from Robin’s name to my own and I have a lot of meetings with Robin’s lawyer and my immigration lawyer. I know it’s been a lot, trust me, _I know_. »

He finally looked at her, noticing for the first time how much the circles under her eyes had grown since he saw her last – awake that is.

« Forget about the PI work, you should take better care of yourself. You spent all last night on your computer, you look exhausted and you need to eat more. »

She takes a deep breath and Magnum sees that she’s annoyed again.

« Look, Magnum, I thank you for carrying me to bed this morning, that was very kind of you. », she acknowledged. « But you’re not my mother, you should mind your own business and stop spying on my search history. »

With that, she turned around again to prepare a cup of coffee and he had a feeling the conversation was over.

Her dismissal was yet another blow to the PI but he knew he was the one to blame as he failed to address their problems efficiently. Instead he had gone and accused her of everything that was wrong in his life and alienated her.

He needed to think about what to do next but her presence scrambled his brain. When he saw her he was constantly reminded that he wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go, something she definitely wasn’t ready for.

She turned towards the counter again and opened her laptop as she sipped her cup of coffee.

He cleared his throat.

« I’ll come back later. »

She didn’t look at him, her eyes still trained to the screen.

« You do that. », she said in a detached voice.

He climbed behind the wheel of the Ferrari and drove off.

xxxxxx

Rick watched his friend nursing a beer for the past twenty minutes, the label of the bottle almost fully off under the scrap of Magnum’s nails.

Something was definitely off. He had called TC ten minutes ago and he shouldn’t be long now. Speaking of the devil, the tall chopper pilot entered his line of vision and joined him at the end of the bar. He caught sight of Thomas, hunched over his drink and turned to Rick with a raised eyebrow.

« Who dumped him this time? »

« Beats me, other than Jules leaving him for you I didn’t know he was seeing someone. »

TC threw him an annoyed look at the mention of the marriage debacle.

« Well, how about we go find out? »

« I was waiting for you, brother. »

They joined their friend at the bar and sat on a stool on each side of him.

« What’s up, TM? », TC asked as he clapped on Thomas’ back.

Magnum raised his head and looked at both men, one after the other.

« Hey, guys. », he answered quietly.

Rick decided to stop beating around the bush.

« Alright, what’s wrong? We haven’t seen you like this since Abby. Who is it this time? »

« Juliet. », the PI sighed.

Both Marines exchanged glances above Thomas’ head.

« Did we miss something? », Rick asked.

Magnum told them everything, from his hurt about the aborted wedding, Higgins pulling away from him and lastly their fight from earlier.

« I asked you if you were okay with me agreeing to marry Higgy and you said yes, man. You should have told me you were hurt. », TC told the Navy Seal.

« I’m not hurt about you saying yes but about her ditching me for you. I understand you agreeing was the only solution for her to stay. »

« Look, Thomas, from what I can gather, it looks like Jules has a lot on her plate right now. She’s not avoiding you on purpose and I’m sure it’s only temporary. You need to give her some space. », Rick advised.

« Did you offer to help her on some of her tasks? I mean, she used to grant you favors before you were partners, maybe you could give back now. », TC suggested.

« Yeah, instead of bothering her about every tiny thing that goes wrong in your life. », Rick added.

Magnum raised his head from his beer bottle before looking at his friends.

« I had to find some reasons to go see her! I just never see her anymore. », he complained. « I just want to spend time with her. », he added in a broken voice.

Rick & TC exchanged a look behind Thomas’ back. The blond man frowned. He didn’t know this morose person who replaced his usually cheerful friend. Apparently Thomas had it bad for his partner - not that it was really a surprise for both Marines – but didn’t know how to tell her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks @hpfangirl13 for proof-reading this story.


	4. Chap.4 - Higgins

As soon as Magnum left the kitchen, a heat wave took hold of her body at the frustration and anger she felt towards the PI and she couldn’t hold back her tears anymore. Higgins didn’t usually cry easily but all of her bottled up feelings demanded she let them out and apparently they wanted to be expressed through tears.

She sobbed like she hadn’t sobbed in a long time, asking herself why it was so complicated to talk to her partner. She blamed her lack of communication skills on an uptight British upbringing but what was his excuse?

Though, after learning so much of his past in the last couple of years, she had to admit he also had reasons to be terrible at expressing his feelings. She sniffled and wiped her eyes, even though tears were still falling down her cheeks, as she contemplated her cooling cup of coffee not feeling like drinking or eating anything.

She sighed, not eating wasn’t an option since her last meal had been her dinner last night, which consisted of a few crackers, and it was now – she checked her watch – 1:30PM. She still wished she could have Magnum’s pancakes but she’d have to settle for something else

She opened the fridge but when she saw that they were out of eggs, her lower lip trembled and fresh tears gathered in her eyes. Juliet knew it was always quite difficult for her to stop crying once she started, but crying over food was just ridiculous. She didn’t even know if it was her fight with Magnum or tiredness at this point. She managed to keep her tears at bay for now.

She closed the fridge, turned around and found herself face-to-face with a concerned Kumu.

“What’s wrong, Juliet?”

Seeing the worry on the older woman’s face was the last straw and the tears came running down again.

“It’s okay, Kumu.”, she croaked. “I just really wanted an omelet and we’re out of eggs.”

Kumu watched her with an incredulous expression and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for the real explanation, not knowing Juliet was actually crying over eggs.

“Don’t worry, I’m just tired that’s all.”, the British woman explained as she brought her cup of coffee to her lips, grimacing when the now cold beverage hit her tongue.

“Thomas said something to you, didn’t he?”, Kumu sighed.

“How do you know?”

Apparently, she had no filter between her brain and her mouth anymore.

“He was looking for you this morning and he looked preoccupied.”

The Hawaiian woman stepped closer to her and laid a reassuring hand on Higgins’ shoulder.

“And I live here too you know. I see the new dynamic between you two: you being overworked and oblivious, him hovering like a puppy demanding attention from his mistress. It was bound to happen sooner or later”

Juliet burst into tears again at her words, not knowing how they would get out of this mess. Kumu took her in her arms to comfort her and her touch reminded the young woman of her own mother. She was in dire need for some relationship advice but the loss of her mother had never felt so present, squeezing painfully around her heart like a fist. However, the soothing circles Kumu was rubbing on her back felt heavenly and for the first time in a month Juliet didn’t feel alone. She took a deep breath before disengaging herself from the older woman’s embrace.

“Thanks, Kumu.”, she told her in a wobbly voice.

“You’re welcome, Juliet. Now, dry your tears. », she ordered as she handed her a paper towel. « And take a seat at the counter, I’m making you a sandwich because we can all agree that you have to eat something.”

Higgins wiped her puffy eyes, mulling over the fact that she must look terrible, as she watched the Hawaiian woman gather ingredients for her sandwich. It felt odd to the young woman to let someone else prepare a meal for her while she watched them. Though she didn’t remember feeling this way the one time Magnum had invited her for brunch after a hard case and he had refused to let her help while he prepared the pancakes. No, she hadn’t felt the slightest guilt over ogling him while he slaved in the kitchen, especially when he started humming along the song playing on the radio.

She needed to stop thinking about the good times spent with her partner or she would start crying again. Fortunately for her, Kumu placed a plate with a large sandwich in front of her which brought her a welcome distraction.

« And I don’t want a single crumb left on this plate, Juliet. »

« Yes, ma’am. », she chuckled.

She took one of the two neatly cut triangles – Kumu really was like a mother – and bit a sizable piece of the sandwich. She moaned slightly at how good it felt to eat something and think about anything else but work, even if her other musings brought her heartache. The older woman must have sensed where her mind went because she brought up the subject again.

« Listen, Juliet, I’m only going to say this because I’m really worried about you and Thomas so please, hear me out and don’t interrupt me okay? »

Higgins nodded as she chewed her mouthful, already dreading what Kumu was going to say.

« You and I already had several heart to heart conversations and I remember one clearly when we were held hostage in the wine cellar. You were hesitating to accept Thomas’ offer to become his partner and I told you you were afraid of staying because you were getting close to someone. You and I both know we were talking about Thomas. And yet, you accepted his offer. You started to let him in as a friend and you both found your footing until your visa issue threw a wrench in your partnership. The moment you agreed to the whole marriage for a green card plan, you have been pulling away from Thomas and this workload for Robin’s Nest has just been an excuse to escape your feelings and Thomas’. We both know this is your signature move when things get too personal between you two. »

Juliet swallowed her mouthful with difficulty, already ill at ease with what Kumu was saying. But she knew she was lost and needed every wise advice she could get so she didn’t interfere in her friend’s monologue.

« This is only my two cents but I can tell you both care for each other, you just need to open your eyes and see what’s in front of you. »

« Kumu, what if you are wrong? What if he doesn’t have feelings for me? I would make a fool of myself if I confessed anything that isn’t reciprocated. »

« Juliet, the man offered to marry you. I doubt he would have done the same for just anyone. But you’ll never know unless you ask. »

The older woman went to retrieve a glass of water for Higgins. When she put it in front of the young woman, she added:

« Just, could you please put an end to the man’s misery and at least assure him that this workload is only temporary and that you are still his work partner? It’s getting quite sad to watch him walk all day like a lost puppy. »

Higgins took a sip of her water, her mouth and throat suddenly as dry as the Sahara.

« One more thing, Robin Masters didn’t handle all this estate on his own. He had you as majordomo but he also had lawyers, accountants and consultants to help him deal with a lot of tasks. You shouldn’t have to do it on your own either. »

Kumu patted the back of Juliet’s hand that was laid on the kitchen counter before making her way out.

« You just got a second chance, Juliet. You should make the most of it. »

And with that, she was gone.

Higgins was left alone with her thoughts and the second half of her sandwich but she suddenly wasn’t hungry anymore as a heavy weight settled in her stomach. Kumu was right about a lot of things. First, she didn’t need to take on all the tasks for Robin’s Nest by herself. Robin made sure she had enough money to cover the functioning fees for at least a year. Maybe she could use that to hire some help.

Regarding the whole feelings for Magnum fiasco, her mind was all scrambled. The only thing she was absolutely sure was that she did harbor romantic feelings for her partner.

She had some suspicion when he had been with Abby, the slight jealousy that gnawed her stomach every time she saw them together seemed so foreign to her she assumed it was just envy of wanting to be in a relationship. She had been alone for so long, it would have been understandable to crave the same complicity and intimacy Magnum seemed to share with his girlfriend. So she buried her feelings deep inside her heart and moved on.

She had been certain of her affection the moment she learnt he was in the Triple Frontier and potentially in mortal danger. The fear of losing him had felt just like she did five years ago when she lost the man she thought she would marry. She waited until he was safely asleep, next to her on the plane on the way back, to ponder about those feelings. But she knew then. She was in love with Thomas Magnum.

But along the way, she had taken both him and their partnership for granted. Early in their collaboration he had asked her to be honest with him about how she felt but she broke her promise when her feelings started frightening her by their depths. He deserved to know the truth now.

She had a lot of amends to make.

She told him she didn’t want to leave yet she abandoned him all the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, things will look up starting next chapter. They now know a little better what they want from each other ;)
> 
> Thanks @HPfangirl_13 for the edit.


	5. Chap.5 - Magnum

Magnum was drumming his fingers on the steering wheel of the Ferrari. He was on his way back to Robin’s Nest – well Juliet’s Nest – but he was stuck in traffic. He had spent quite a while at La Mariana listening to his friends’ advice to salvage his relationship with his partner and was now ready to spring into action.

Rick and TC had been right. He needed to stop being a whiny baby and fight for the woman he loved. Because he was sure of it now. He loved Juliet Higgins. He was astounded it had taken him so long to realize that.

He now understood why he was so looking forward to marrying her and why it had hurt so much when she went to TC. It was also why he felt so desperate to be near her all the time even when she had been ignoring him for the past month.

He didn’t know if his feelings were reciprocated but that was not what mattered right now. She really seemed unwell this afternoon and he was worried about her.

She needed his support and he had been a lousy partner for the last month, thinking about the matter from only his perspective. He now understood their partnership didn’t stop at their PI work. She was part of his Ohana and deserved his help during this difficult time. His feelings would have to be put on hold for the time being.

He was brought back to reality when the traffic jam had eased and he could finally rev up the engine to hurry back home.

As soon as he was in the guesthouse, he started to prepare everything to put his plan into motion.

He texted Kumu to ask her for a favor: lure Higgy out of the office for five minutes and let him know when the coast was clear.

When he received a text from Kumu with an okay sign, he knew he had to rush, in order to have enough time to bring a tray full of her favorite food: a massive stack of his famous chocolate chips pancakes with maple syrup, fresh cut fruits, a glass of home squeezed orange juice and a cup of coffee.

He was aware it was dinner time but he knew breakfast food was her favorite. The most important was that she ate something and he hoped she would enjoy her meal even more if it was something she craved for.

He even left her a handwritten message: a small white card with an apologetic “I’m sorry for being an ass.”. He also went to cut out a single pink rose from the garden to lay on top of his note. His mother once explained to him the significance of roses colors. He remembered the red ones – passion and fierce love – but had always been drawn to the pink ones because they symbolized a more tender love, one that was sincere and unending. And that was exactly how he felt towards Juliet. He didn’t want just a fleeting moment of passion with her. He wanted the everlasting kind of love.

Hopefully, this small gesture would show her that he cared enough to give her the space she needed to sort out her feelings, after their earlier argument, without him overwhelming her.

He hid away behind the wall when she came back into the office to spy on her reaction. When she noticed his peace offering on the desk, a large smile stretched on her face and she looked around to see if he was in her line of vision.

She walked behind the desk and picked the note up to read it which made her chuckle. She grabbed her phone to start typing a text and Magnum remembered he didn’t put his phone on silent. He hurriedly changed the settings, so he wouldn’t get busted, just as a text message appeared on his screen. A simple “Thank you” accompanied with a smiley face but it made his heart race all the same.

When she sat down and began eagerly eating his pancakes he couldn’t stop the grin appearing on his face. Maybe they had been the ones complicating things when a simple act like cooking for her brought the brightest smile on her face he had seen in more than a month.

He silently crept out of the main house to retire to the guesthouse for the night. He needed some more time to think about how he would confess his feelings to her without having her run for the hills.

xxxxxx

The next morning, Thomas was making his way to the guesthouse after his kayak session when he saw Juliet in the middle of her yoga exercises at her usual spot. He was glad she was finally taking some time for herself.

He smiled to himself and changed his trajectory to go to the study while she was occupied. He sat at the desk and opened her laptop to check her planning for the day, in case he could help with something. He decided to take care of the monthly cleaning of the pool and dialed the number of the company that usually did it to schedule an appointment.

When he hung up the phone he could feel eyes on him. He turned towards the open French doors and saw her in her yoga outfit – a sports bra and leggings – with her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyebrows were raised in interrogation but her gaze wasn’t cold like it had been yesterday. He tried to mollify her with his most charming smile and almost thought he had succeeded as she fought the one threatening to appear on her face, until she asked:

“What are you doing on my computer, Magnum?”

Her tone was not hostile but he could tell he was still walking on thin ice and hoped he wouldn’t say the wrong thing or they would be back to square one.

“I was trying to help you with your daily tasks. I just called the company that does the pool cleaning to schedule an appointment. I just wanted to give you a hand.”, he said to defend himself.

She smiled slightly and walked closer to the desk.

“That’s very kind of you, Magnum.”

He beamed, a warm feeling spreading in his chest at her gratitude. The pride he felt at helping her made him wonder why it took him so long to step forward and take action. He’d have to find a way to thank his friends for opening his eyes.

“But it’s not necessary for you to help me.”, she continued. “I decided to listen to Kumu’s advice and learn to delegate. So I hired a majordomo to help me run this estate. She will come here during office hours but won’t actually live here.”

Magnum’s eyes widened in surprise, wondering if this realization of hers had anything to do with their fight from yesterday but she answered him before he had a chance to ask.

“I already knew I was overworked before our argument but I guess it made me open my eyes and after talking about it with Kumu, I finally made a decision to get some help.”

“I’m glad you’re taking time to take care of yourself.”, he told her as he rose from the chair. “That’s all I ever wanted for you, despite what I said to you yesterday. I’m sorry about that.”

“And I’m sorry I shut you out. I know you were worried about me but I didn’t want to hear your arguments about what I should or shouldn’t do. You have always been right about me having trouble asking for help. I thought I was better at it, but I guess old habits die hard.”

Thomas walked the few steps that were separating them until he was in front of her and took her hand in his. He was pleased she didn’t brush him off.

“Juliet, admitting you can’t do it all by yourself doesn’t mean you’re not still a wonderful and accomplished woman.”, he explained in a gentle tone as he brushed his thumb across her knuckles.

He saw her take a deep breath and release it slowly, as if her breathing had suddenly quickened. He frowned, concerned about her but she reassured him with a smile and a squeeze of her hand.

“Once I explain to her how everything around here works, I will have time to join you on cases again. Though we might have to work from the guesthouse to let her work in here.”

Magnum couldn’t hold back his grin; he was elated she was talking about working cases together again. They could work at la Mariana for all he cared, he was getting his partner back.

She cleared her throat.

“I’m going to take a shower and change. Maybe afterwards we could discuss what you wanted to discuss yesterday?”, she offered in a small, unsure voice.

He smiled to let her know he was on board with her idea, glad that she seemed open enough to talk things through. God knew they needed to clear the air.

“I’ll go take a shower as well.”, he said as he gestured to his sweat covered t-shirt. “We’ll meet back here in twenty minutes?”

She agreed and they went their separate ways.

Fifteen minutes later, Magnum was back in the study wearing dark grey shorts and a white linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He sat in an armchair as he waited for her. He was eager to have this conversation but he was also nervous.

After a few minutes, she was returning wearing a beautiful dark romper with a tropical print, the loose shorts barely grazing the middle of her thighs. She held her platform sandals by the back straps with only two fingers. Her blond curls were pinned on each side with some kind of invisible barrette, not that he was an expert on these things.

He sprang out of his seat at the divine sight in front of him and joined her near the French doors.

“You look lovely.”, he told her breathlessly.

“Thanks, Thomas.”, she answered and looked down to try and hide her smile.

Magnum felt his heart race, wondering how he was going to survive the next ten minutes with her looking so alluring when all he wanted to do was wrap his arms around her and kiss her.

But first things first, they needed to talk.

“How about a walk on the beach?”, he proposed as he slid his fingers through the straps of her shoes before dropping them on the floor.

“I’d love to.”, she smiled shyly.

He offered her his hand and she took it. Neither of them let go of their hold once they stepped outside in the direction of the private beach.

Whatever happened during this discussion, he was sure they wouldn’t be the same afterwards.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next week, last chapter with the long awaited conversation ^^
> 
> Stay tuned!
> 
> Thanks @HPfangirl_13 for the proof reading


	6. Chap.6 Higgins

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is folks, the last chapter...
> 
> I want to thank @Historiia because if it wasn't for her, I wouldn't have written anything after chapter 1 and just dropped it.
> 
> I'm still not quite satisfied with this story but I'm glad I saw it through.

Juliet took the hand Magnum offered before he guided her out the French doors to the long stretch of lawn that led to the private beach of the estate.

She was ready, she told herself. Ready to either go forwards with their relationship or lose him forever. One way or another, their fate as partners, friends or even more than that would be known.

She needed to clear the air or they wouldn’t be able to salvage what was left of their relationship.

She had not been that nervous in a very long time. But the stakes had never been higher than that. Her future on this island was basically hanging in the balance.

She thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest and was astounded that Magnum didn’t seem to hear it whereas she was deafened by the loud _thump-thump_ roaring in her ear.

Also, it was really hot, wasn’t it? She grimaced as her palm became sweaty against Magnum’s. She needed to relax a bit because stress wouldn’t help her during this conversation that was likely to be emotional.

She saw Kumu coming up from the beach as they were walking down the estate’s lawn. She wanted to drop Magnum’s hand, not wanting the older woman to get false ideas about the evolution of their relationship, but her partner squeezed his fingers tighter around hers.

She directed her gaze to his profile and he caught her eyes, smiling reassuringly at her. Her racing heart calmed down a bit when she saw how serene he was at displaying affectionate gestures in front of their friend. Maybe Kumu had been right, maybe he had feelings for her, or else why would he hold her hand in front of the Hawaiian woman?

“Aloha Kumu.” he said in an amiable tone when they all met on the lawn, where the small rock stairs were.

“Aloha, both of you. Where are you going this early in the morning?” their friend asked them, wearing the biggest smile ever.

“We’re just going to take a stroll on the beach to enjoy the sun before it’s too hot.” he answered.

Juliet was still silent, not as comfortable as Magnum with PDA, especially when she didn’t know the extent of his feelings for her. She hoped he wasn’t playing with her or he would be sorry; she did give a mean kick to the groin.

But she knew he would never do that, not when his beaming smile, as he just held her hand, could light up the whole estate at night.

“Well, I’ll leave you both to it. I have a tour group scheduled in an hour.” Kumu explained as she bid them goodbye.

They resumed their walk in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.

As she stepped on the warm, golden sand, it occurred to her that they were standing exactly in the same spot they had been a month earlier when she announced him she was staying in Hawaii.

Maybe she could pretend they were erasing this whole disastrous month and starting over. As if it was the day Robin gave her Robin’s Nest so she could avoid making the same mistakes again. She turned her head so she could watch him as they walked along the water, the small waves lapping at their feet.

No, she wouldn’t want to erase anything, faults and misunderstandings included, because they had brought her here, in this moment with Magnum.

He didn’t seem nervous and she wondered where he found this self-confidence. She sure could use some. This silence stretching between them was driving her crazy. But where to start? Should she break the ice with some small talk or should she dive right in with the heavy stuff?

“I wanted to thank you …” she started but he had the same idea and they ended up talking at the same time.

They laughed lightly as their eyes met and seeing the way his whole face lit up made her heart burst in her chest at the same time it settled her nerves. It was quite puzzling.

She stopped walking and let go of his hand so he could face her. They had been dancing around this conversation long enough.

She took a deep breath, trying to anchor herself in the moment by concentrating on his soft gaze and the chilly water against her ankles.

« Magnum, I wanted to apologize for avoiding you this past month. Kumu helped me realize that I buried myself into work to avoid a lot that’s happened between us. » she said in an apologetic tone.

He lifted his arm to grab her hand in his again but abstained when she took a step back.

« Sorry, I just can’t concentrate with you touching me. I think it would be best if we kept our hands to ourselves for now. » she mumbled a bit ashamed at how easily he made her lose her train of thoughts.

He seemed to think otherwise judging by the mirth she saw reflected in his eyes. He raised both his hands as if she was holding him at gunpoint and moved back a couple feet backwards with a contented grin on his face.

The bastard was enjoying himself.

« Don’t worry, Higgy, these little mitts will behave until you tell them otherwise. » he chuckled as he juggled his fingers. « Please, do go on. »

She looked down. She was usually glad for the levity he brought to their relationship but right now, she wished he would be a little more serious. She was about to confess her deepest feelings, something she hasn’t done for many years, she didn’t want him to turn it into a joke. Fortunately, he noticed her body language and grew sober.

« I’m sorry. I wasn’t laughing at you. I guess I’m a little nervous. » he told her as he scratched his neck in awkwardness.

“I am too.” she admitted.

“You know what? I think we’re both nervous because we actually have feelings for each other but we’re worried these feelings are not reciprocated.” he declared while his gaze was drawn to the ocean behind her, as if he didn’t dare meet her eyes.

That was exactly what she feared but since he said it himself, it would mean he felt the same way she did, right? Juliet’s mind had trouble wrapping itself around this idea that they actually felt the same way after dancing around each other for so long.

« So, maybe we could ease things up a bit, don’t you think? » he asked her, self-conscious.

She nodded but had no idea what he meant by that until he closed the distance between them again. Her eyes widened in surprise when his index finger tilted her chin up until their noses touched. He brushed the pad of his thumb across her lower lip and her breathing quickened.

He was about to kiss her! Her skin tingled in anticipation and she couldn’t prevent her lips from stretching up in a beaming smile.

Unfortunately, he did not kiss her. Once his digit traveled the length of her smile, he cradled her cheek gently.

« I like you more than just a friend, Juliet and I think you feel the same way about me. That’s probably what got us into this mess to begin with. »

She chuckled. That was quite an understatement. But she didn’t want to scare him away by admitting she was in love with him, even though, he did just confess having feelings for her. It only seemed fair that she returned the favor.

« I like you too, Thomas. Like, a lot. » she whispered and she hoped he could hear her over the sounds of the crashing waves near them. It was actually a good thing that he was standing so close.

This time he dove for her lips and pressed a chaste kiss against her mouth. His hand was still cupping her cheek while the other one slid down to her lower back, holding her close to him. He was so skilled whereas she felt so gawky, not knowing what to do with her own arms. You would think she was experiencing her very first kiss.

As soon as her fingers wrapped around his upper arms, he tried to deepen the kiss, tracing her soft lips with his tongue. She felt an electric shock which made her regain her senses. She broke away from him with a gasp.

“See? That’s what I meant when I said we should keep our hands to ourselves. We barely even talked and we’re already getting distracted!”

He smiled sheepishly and Juliet suddenly saw what Kumu meant when she compared Magnum to a puppy. How could she stay annoyed at him with him looking at her like that?

“Okay, you’re right. We should totally clear everything up or we might end up yelling at each other like yesterday because of miscommunication. I guess we should start at the beginning.” he told her before he turned and started walking along the beach.

“You mean when you arrived at Robin’s Nest?” she asked, surprised as she tried to follow him but her feet were sinking into the wet sand with each step.

He chuckled when he watched her arrive next to him.

“You can’t tell me you liked me back then? I wouldn’t believe you.”

She grinned when they finally walked in sync and didn’t listen to her own words as she grabbed his hand in hers. He brought their joined hands to his lips and brushed a kiss to the back of hers.

“Oh no, I hated you back then. You were obnoxious and you enjoyed riling me up.”

“Correction, you thought I was obnoxious. Though I admit I liked pushing your buttons. I still do, actually.’ he laughed. “I was thinking about the marriage proposal as a start.”

“Ah, the greatest idea you’ve ever had.” she declared sarcastically.

“Hey, it would have solved everything if we went through with it.” he argued.

She stayed silent for a minute, trying to make sense of her jumbled thoughts before expressing them out loud. God knew they didn’t need any more misunderstandings.

“I won’t mention the fact that it was illegal again, because I think I must have said it at least 20 times. Other than that, your proposal made me feel uncomfortable because I had feelings for you that ran deeper than friendship. And I needed to keep my distances because I didn’t know if you felt the same.”

She raised her eyes towards him in an attempt to show him those aforementioned sentiments.

« We would have had to act like a couple in front of everyone. », she continued. « And playing house with you when you only saw me as a friend would have been torture. I knew I wouldn’t have been able to handle it. Going undercover for a day was hard enough, I couldn’t imagine doing it all the time. »

Magnum ran his fingers in his hair in frustration.

« I really wish I knew you felt that way at the time. Because, without knowing why, I was really looking forward to marrying you. This visa issue was what made me propose obviously. But it also made me uncover my true feelings for you. »

Juliet pursed her lips in thoughts.

« When you proposed I was so conflicted because I knew it was only pretend but I wanted it to be real. I guess that’s why I turned to TC. He was safe, he wouldn’t break my heart in the process. » she explained in a slightly trembling voice.

Magnum stopped in his tracks.

« Juliet, promise me we’ll talk about how we feel more openly from now on, because hearing your motivations behind your actions makes so much more sense than I could ever imagine. Just like, I’m sure you thought I acted like a jackass after you went to TC but the truth was that you rejecting my help felt like you were actually rejecting me. Your decision hurt me. »

« I’m sorry Thomas. I never meant to hurt you, I was also trying to protect you. What if, along the way, you met someone you wanted to marry? I didn’t want to stand in the way of that. »

« What about TC? Maybe he would have met someone he wanted to marry. Your logic doesn’t stand. »

« I wouldn’t have a problem with him resenting me for it. I don’t think I could have handled you blaming me for ruining your future marriage. »

Thomas approached her until their toes were almost touching before he cupped both her cheek, making sure she held his gaze.

« There’s no one I would want to marry other than you. » he spoke in a soft yet decisive tone.

« Do you mean that? » she whispered in an incredulous voice.

« I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it. »

He brushed his lips against her forehead and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

« When you offered to marry me for a visa, I believed at first, that you did it because you wanted me to stay, as your friend and partner. But when you told me you were surprised after I broke the news about my staying in Hawaii, I thought I had misread your intentions. » she mumbled against the fabric of his shirt.

« How could I not want you to stay? I offered to marry you to insure you would. »

He pushed her slightly away from him so they could look at each other. He seemed really bothered she had that kind of reflection.

« Yeah, but when I broke the news about what Robin did, you didn’t seem that happy. I assumed you didn’t want me to stay that much. After that, I didn’t see another option than to bury myself into work to avoid thinking about it, about you. »

« On the contrary, I was elated you weren’t leaving me. I was just a bit disappointed I wasn’t the one to save the day. I just wanted to be your White Knight. » he advanced sheepishly.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her forehead to his.

“You’ll always by my White Knight.” she whispered as she placed her palm to his cheek.

“And you’ll be my Queen. Together we can deal with anything. »

They finally closed the distance between them, physically and emotionally, as they kissed deeply. This time, when his nimble tongue brushed against her lips to gain entrance, she allowed it and couldn’t hold back her moan when he breached her mouth to explore it. She let herself be carried away by the emotions rising inside of her, finally soaring after struggling for a whole month to stay afloat. All of this thanks to this infuriating man.

They separated slowly when air became scarce and Juliet knew she had to get something off her chest.

« Magnum? » she asked timidly.

« Yes, Higgy? »

« I love you. » she breathed and she felt so much better now that he knew everything she had held from him.

« I sure hope so, because I love you too. », he beamed at her.

They fused their lips back together, neither willing to let go now that they had found each other.

The end

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I mentioned in the last chapter of Kissing Prompt, I don't have any more content for now. But I'm working on a new multi chapter fic that is quite long (for me at least) so you'll hear from me again. And watch out for a surprise in a couple of weeks ;).
> 
> Till then, take care of yourselves.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think.


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